Disaster Response

Red Cross Helps Couple Pick Up The Pieces After A Home Fire

January 11, 2024

Colleen Hathaway/Red Cross Cascade Region One morning in March of 2023, Alanna Sowles’ husband Brandon woke up in their Euguene home and smelled something strange.  He went to investigate and […]

December Delivers Copious Amounts of Rain to the Cascades Region.

December 6, 2023

December 2023 brought with it torrential downpours and numerous flood watches and warnings. Multiple inches of rain caused drivers, pedestrians and homeowners to brush up on what to do when […]

“I Lost Six of my People.” Maui Wildfire Survivor Opens Up To Red Cross Volunteer.

September 26, 2023

By Darrell Fuller Watch Darrell’s story here. I am a volunteer with the American Red Cross. I spent four weeks on the island of Maui responding to the wildfires there. […]

Free Smoke Alarm Installation Event in North Portland

September 21, 2023

By Gabriel Gottfried/Red Cross Cascades Region “People don’t know, can’t know, when they are going to need that smoke detector to save their lives, so do it now.” – John […]

Deploying to Maui:  One Volunteer’s Perspective

August 25, 2023

By Colleen Hathaway/Red Cross Cascades Region The Hawaii wildfires devastating the state are the worst in Hawaii’s history and the deadliest fires in the United States in more than 100 […]

Red Cross Volunteers Take Lead on Disaster

July 26, 2023

Rebecca Marshall/Red Cross Cascades Region One thing to know about wildfire and response is that it can change at a moment’s notice. As this blog is being written, the Red […]

Be Wildfire Ready!

July 20, 2023

Colleen Hathaway/Red Cross Cascades Region There are currently 16 active wildfires in Oregon, burning more than 5,000 acres, according to the Department of Emergency Management (OEM)’s Wildfire Response and Recovery […]

Red Cross Volunteers Reflect on Critical Role in Disaster Response

May 30, 2023

Olivia Wolf/Red Cross Cascades Region A four-alarm fire around downtown Portland displaced more than a dozen residents of an old apartment building the morning of Tuesday, May 16. The fire […]

Finding Hope in a Red Cross Shelter after Narrowly Escaping a 4-alarm Fire

May 19, 2023

Rebecca Marshal/Red Cross Cascades Region On Tuesday morning, May 16th, Barbett Grace heard commotion in the hallway outside of her apartment.  She opened the door and there was so much […]

Everyday People Showing Strength After Hurricane Ian

October 18, 2022

Rebecca Marshall/Red Cross Cascades Region “To help is to live.  Not to help is to die.  When I saw the Red Cross trucks, I saw life.”  Those were the words […]